Outlook for Video Game Design Careers

With video game sales more than quadrupling between 1996 and 2008, video game design represents a vibrant and fast-growing part of the entertainment industry. In fact, with $11.7 billion dollars in sales in 2008, video games have surpassed film ticket sales, which brought in $9.6 billion in the same year.

Numbers like these make it clear that video games are a staple of daily life for many Americans. According to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), computer or video games are present in  roughly 68 percent of American households. The average age of game players is 35, and they've been playing for 12 or more years. Also 25 percent of Americans over the age of 50 play video games, proving that it's not just a hobby for the young. This is good news for individuals hoping to start video game design careers.

If you're looking for game design job opportunities, you're geographic location will play a big part in what's available to you. In the U.S., six states account for more than 74 percent of the video game industry. If you're serious about a video game design career, you may want to consider relocating to one of the following states:

Many factors go into determining your future salary in a video game design career. Here are just a few of the issues that will come into play when you are looking for jobs and hoping for that big paycheck:

• Where do you live?
• How many years of experience do you have?
• What is your education level?
• What kind of job are you looking for within the video game design industry?
• What kind of company is your prospective employer?

While you may not be able to pinpoint your expected earnings before you're actually ready to begin your job search and can answer the questions above, here are some general statistics that will give you an idea of what to expect. The following data shows average salaries for various jobs in the video game design industry in 2008. However, keep in mind that experience pays off, so as you gain tenure in your position, your salary may increase dramatically:

The increasing complexity and popularity of video games has translated into more video game design jobs and larger design teams. With the growth in the video game design industry, this is a great time to think about starting a career in this field. If you have a passion for games and the drive to succeed, a video game design career might be the perfect fit for you.

• _{Entertainment Software Association}
• _{Game Developer Salary Survey 2008}